Potomac Local News

Manassas City Council advertises higher property tax rate; Potential rise in homeowner, renter costs ahead

Published March 11, 2024 at 2:30PM

Manassas City Hall at 9027 Center Street.

During the council session Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Interim City Manager Douglass Keen suggested a proactive approach, recommending an incremental increase to allow for flexibility in adjusting the rate before final approval. Council members engaged in a thorough discussion regarding the potential impacts of the proposed rate.

Council member Pamela Sebeksy expressed concerns about future financial stability, citing declining revenue from gas taxes and the need to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. Others, like Council member Theresa Coates Ellis, advocated for maintaining a flat tax rate, while Councilwoman Sonia Vasquez Luna emphasized the importance of raising taxes to safeguard against future uncertainties, such as another pandemic.

Features

New Crimson Coward Chicken offers fresh, spicy cuisine

By Mike Salmon

Published March 11, 2024 at 11:08AM

Chicken samples and cake were a hit after the ribbon cutting. [Photo: Mike Salmon]

The five levels of spicy chicken is a feature at Crimson Coward, so at the recent opening of this area’s first restaurant, they put it out there that the “Burrrrn Baby, Burn” variety is only for the super spicey palettes.

Their description is “our hottest level,” but Crimson chef Nabil Asad isn’t sugar-coating it. “It’s very, very hot,” he said, pointing at the spices they use. You really have to have a high tolerance,” he said. It’s a variety of “Nashville Hot,” with an extra kick that’s Crimson Coward’s specialty.

News

Warmer as week progresses | Prince William Parks and Rec sponsors our weather posts

By Potomac Local News

Published March 11, 2024 at 10:42AM

Summer Job Alert: Parks and Recreation Hiring Seasonal Workers Now! Want to earn some extra cash this summer and enjoy your job at the same time? PWC Parks and Recreation is now hiring for seasonal jobs.. Camp Counselors, Lifeguards, Cooks and more…

Residents can expect continued windy conditions this afternoon as the National Weather Service forecasts strong winds until late afternoon.

Breaking News

Updated: Searchers recover body of missing woman from Lake Arrowhead

By Potomac Local News

Published March 10, 2024 at 7:14PM | Updated March 11, 2024 at 5:51PM

Updated 4 p.m. March 11, 2024: Searchers located the body of a woman who went missing after her kayak capsized on Lake Arrowhead. The 48-year-old victim has not been identified. There there are no signs of foul play, a Stafford sheriff’s spokesman said.

The woman was not wearing a life jacket. Investigators are still trying to determine how the boat capsized.

Politics

Prince William School Board Chair announces bid for Lt. Governor

By Potomac Local News

Published March 8, 2024 at 2:25PM | Updated March 11, 2024 at 11:22AM

Lateef and Virginia Senator Jeremy McPike

Fresh off a win for a second term as Prince William County School Board Chairman, Dr. Babur Lateef announced his campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia today.

Lateef, an ophthalmologist in Woodbridge and a Democrat, is seeking his party’s nomination for Lt. Governor, a position now held by Republican Winsome Sears.

Features

Insights into the Legacy of Colin Powell: An Exclusive Discussion with Leslie Lautenslager at the Historic Mary Washington House

By Mike Salmon

Published March 8, 2024 at 1:23PM

Lautenslager

Imagine being with the late Colin Powell, who was Secretary of State and a U.S. Army general, traveling around the world looking out for U.S. interests while maintaining diplomacy at nearly all costs. It’s tough to imagine everything he faced that shaped the 1990s and beyond.

Another set of eyes was on the scene, and that was Leslie Lautenslager, the executive assistant who captured it all in her book “My Time with General Colin Powell, Stories of Kindness, Diplomacy, & Protocol.” She will be in Fredericksburg on March 12 to talk about her experience.

Features

LaClair named Manassas police FTO of the Year

By Potomac Local News

Published March 8, 2024 at 1:22PM

Manassas City Police Department acknowledges Master Police Officer M. LaClair as the Field Training Officer (FTO) of the Year for 2023. An FTO is the senior training officer accompanying new or lateral police officers during their training period.

MPO LaClair exceeds FTO expectations, adopting a cautious approach to his role, according to a city police spokesman. He consistently seeks to challenge trainees, incorporating additional training and extracurricular requirements to bolster their knowledge, skills, and abilities. MPO LaClair exemplifies the Department’s core values and fosters connections between trainees’ work and the Department’s mission.

News

Stafford school board votes against Embrey Mill site — again

By Potomac Local News

Published March 8, 2024 at 9:20AM

Stafford County School Board

An outcry from families at the Stafford County School Board meeting Tuesday night, along with a letter from the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, was not enough to sway the school board to rescind its earlier vote to build elementary school No. 19 at the Brooke Point site, reports Kathy Knotts at the Fredericksburg Free Press.

News

Plane makes emergency landing at Stafford Regional Airport

By Potomac Local News

Published March 8, 2024 at 9:16AM

At 4:54 p.m. Thursday, March 7, Virginia State Police responded to a report of a small, private aircraft making an emergency landing at the Stafford Regional Airport.